China's largest city locked down its 25 million people in early April to counter the worst outbreak to hit the country since the initial wave in early 2020.
But for an Australian-Belgian couple, there is no question of postponing the wedding.
Under the distant gaze of their parents and friends, Janelle Nuyts and Matthew Mitchener married on Saturday via a video link with a celebrant in the United States.
The lovers then organized their wedding reception … in the parking lot of their residence.
A chance: it was only the day before that they had learned that they could leave their apartment, provided they remained inside their residential complex.
The newlyweds were treated to jets of rice thrown by a handful of neighbors, while at a distance an employee in a full suit disinfected the aisles of the open parking lot.
"It was a bit surreal," says Matthew, 35.
"I thought I was going to get married in a tracksuit," says Janelle, 33, until she received a wedding dress sent by a friend at the last minute.
"As soon as I put on the dress, everything changed."
The couple had been trying to marry for two years, facing a myriad of administrative hurdles since China gave up marrying foreigners in 2019.
Impossible for them to be married in their embassies.
There remained the option of online marriage in the United States, decided in March when Janelle and Matthew learned that they were going to be parents.
They are now waiting for their marriage certificate to arrive in the mail.
"We didn't expect it to be so romantic," says Janelle.
© 2022 AFP